This past week, a lot of people have told me how fed up they are with the winter weather. And they’ve also told me that many people they know feel the same. The January days are blurring together in a haze of rain, storms, dark nights, and sameness. It can feel relentless. People are feeling stuck indoors and whilst we’re all in it together, we know we can’t change the weather or the time of year. So, we’re left wondering how we’re going to make it through to spring without going stir crazy.
I watched a video yesterday about altering what you do in the evenings so it’s not all about finishing work, eating dinner, and flopping on the sofa. It focused on finding things that help you punctuate the day and give you something to look forward to on weeknights. It made me think about the dreariness so many people are experiencing at the moment – what if the antidote to this blur isn’t doing more but noticing more? Nothing significant or costly, just punctuating the day with small moments of presence. Little anchors that make Tuesday feel different from Wednesday, that give the days some difference when they all feel the same.
I’m not suggesting anything major or another task to add to your to do list at this time. It’s more about taking a moment to watch the rain falling on your window or the glow of the fire. Noticing the steam rising from your cup of coffee or snowdrops flowering on the roadside. Things that just make you pause for a few seconds and see the changes around you. These tiny pauses won’t alter the weather, but they could shift how you are getting through these days. They become little markers, proof that the days aren’t actually identical, that time is passing, and you’re moving through this rather than stuck in it.
You don’t have to record these pauses or draw meaning from them. But they might just make these dreary days blur less and become a little easier. And that in itself could make waiting for spring a lot more manageable.
